Chapter 3

The moment Autumn saw me, she went pale.

She instinctively took a step toward me, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something. But in the end, she said nothing.

I let out a mocking laugh and turned to Kevin instead. "Or do you think this is my fault?"

Kevin's face went white as he nervously twisted the hem of his suit jacket, wrinkling it in the process. I stared at the suit he was wearing, the very one I'd personally helped design.

There were countless times when I pictured myself wearing that suit, happily waiting for Autumn to walk down the aisle, with Kevin right there at my side, giving us his blessing.

But now, the one wearing it wasn't me, and the one marrying Autumn wasn't me either.

Kevin took a step toward me, clearly flustered as he tried to explain himself to me. "Clark, I'm sorry. I just…"

"You just what? You just couldn't help making a move on my fiancée? I thought you were my friend, but I guess I was just a blind fool!"

All the anger, heartbreak, and resentment I'd been holding back came pouring out at once. By the time I came to my senses, my fist had already slammed into his face.

Kevin hit the ground, a thin trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. Autumn shot forward at once, putting herself in front of him and snapping, "Clark, what the heck are you doing?"

But Kevin held her back. "Let him vent."

Then he walked up to me and closed his eyes. "Clark, if you want to hit me, then hit me. I won't fight back. Once you've gotten it all out of your system, you'll still be my child's godfather."

My whole body went rigid. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Instead of answering, he simply turned his gaze to the faint curve of Autumn's belly. In an instant, my mind went completely blank.

By the time I realized what I was doing, I already had his collar in a death grip. But in the next moment, Autumn stormed over and slapped me hard across the face.

"Clark, have you lost your mind? It's your own fate that you don't get to be this baby's father, so why are you taking it out on Kev?

"He ruined his own face and endured three years of humiliation just to protect your feelings. What right do you have to blame him?"

Autumn screamed at me in a fit of rage, her eyes filled with disgust. Then she took Kevin by the hand and walked away without a backward glance.

Miranda glared at me furiously. "Autumn is carrying Kev's child! If anything happens to him, she won't forgive you for the rest of her life!"

Even Tony looked at me with nothing but disappointment. "Clark, that was too far."

I sank to the ground, dazedly watching them chase after Autumn. It felt like every ounce of strength had been sucked out of me.

They all seemed to have forgotten that Autumn and I had a child once, too, five years ago.

Back then, wanting to help Kevin make a name for his newly established company, Autumn went behind my back and traveled with him to medical equipment companies all over the place, trying to drum up business.

She drank glass after glass of ice-cold liquor. And that child we had finally managed to conceive, the one we didn't even know was there yet, was gone before we ever had the chance to find out.

When I found out, I was so angry that I wanted to end my friendship with Kevin once and for all. But Autumn held me tightly and told me not to blame Kevin.

She said she'd only wanted to do something for the people I cared about, something that would make me happy.

Back then, I believed every word. I thought she was just too kind for her own good. I had choked out words of comfort, telling her over and over that we could still have another child someday.

The tears she'd shed onto my neck that day were hot enough to burn me. But now, as I watched her walk away without so much as a backward glance, I felt cold all over, and I shivered from head to toe.

Unable to take the shock any longer, I collapsed to the ground. When I woke up, Autumn was sitting beside my bed.

The moment she met my hollow gaze, she stiffened. "The doctor said you need to get plenty of rest."

She held out a glass of hot water and a pill, intending to give them to me. With my gaze on her, I pushed her hand away.

The hot water spilled all over the back of her hand, instantly turning the skin red.

Her brows knitted together, but she silently endured the pain. And when I tried to get up and leave, she suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Clark, you can take out all your anger on me if you want. But you can't go outside right now."

Autumn held onto me tightly. She looked like she was on edge, like she was terrified I'd discover something.

Suddenly, the sound of porcelain breaking echoed up from the living room downstairs.

A familiar roar of rage followed immediately after. My heart clenched at the sound. I yanked myself free from her before racing downstairs.

And the moment I saw what was happening in the living room, the blood in my veins ran cold.